Hainanese Style Chicken Rice

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Hainanese Chicken Rice is a traditional dish originally from Hainan Island, in which the chicken is gently poached and then served with rice and a dipping sauce. The dish was originally derived from a dish called Wenchang Chicken and was taken by Chinese immigrants to Singapore and Malaysia. Once there, it evolved into the dish we know today. 

This is not a traditional preparation, but I wanted a dish that had the wonderful flavors, but was faster to prepare and could be done in one pot. Using the rice cooker is perfect. If you don’t have a rice cooker, any sturdy pot with a lid will work. 

Ingredients: 

4 -5 Chicken Thighs, bone in

2 Tbsp Oil

4 -5 Scallions, chopped

4 cloves Garlic, minced

3 inch piece of Ginger, minced

1 1/2 cups brown Jasmine rice, see note. 

3 cups Chicken or Vegetable Broth

1 Tbsp Soy Sauce

1 Tbsp Fish Sauce 

1 Tbsp Sesame Oil 

Salt and black or white pepper 

Dipping Sauce:

Finely chopped scallions, soy sauce, ginger, rice vinegar and sesame oil. This is optional, but it really does add a lot of flavor.

Preparation:

Begin by salt and peppering your chicken on both sides and letting it rest in the refrigerator. I like to toast the white peppercorns lightly, before I grind them. 

Chop finely or use a mini prep for your scallion, garlic and ginger and set aside. Wash and drain your rice and then prepare your dipping sauce if using.

In a medium size skillet heat up your oil and sear your chicken thighs on both sides and set aside. You want them just slightly browned. If you want the skin to be more poached and velvety, then feel free to skip this step. 

Add in your scallion, garlic and ginger to the same pan and sauté gently. Do not allow them to brown, then add in your rice and sauté for about a minute until it’s well coated. 

Add this rice mixture to your rice cooker, add in your broth, soy sauce , fish sauce and sesame oil and mix it up. And then gently lay your chicken skin side up on top and put your rice cooker for normal cooking time for the type of rice you’ve chosen.

After the rice cooker has finished, allow it to set covered for 10 minutes. 

Note: I’ve suggested a 2 to 1 ratio of broth to rice, because I used brown jasmine rice and that is the ratio my rice cooker calls for. If you choose to use white jasmine rice, a ratio on one to one should be fine or just follow the directions for your rice cooker.

Georgian Chicken – Shkmeruli

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Georgian food was a cuisine that I just hadn’t had a chance to explore. After hearing a lot about it and having a few Georgian bakeries and restuarants opening up nearby, I decided to do a deep drive and I was impressed. It’s rich cuisine with influences from many cultures.

This is a one pot meal that’s packed with flavor and is even better the next day. While not a totally traditional classic Shkmeruli, it’s very good and quite a bit lighter as I did not add the cream. Although I must say I’m sure it would have been even better with it.

Ingredients: 

Chicken, I used 5 bone in thighs.

Flour, for dusting. 

3 Tbsp Butter

1 1/2 Tbsp Khmeli Suneli spice blend, 1/2 for chicken, 1/2 for flour. See note.

6-8 cloves Garlic, minced

3 medium Carrots, chopped 

1/2 cup Celery, chopped.

1 Onion, chopped

5-6 Baby Potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch pieces 

1/2 cup White Wine 

1/4- 1/2 cup Chicken or vegetable broth

Salt and pepper

1/2 cup Heavy Cream, optional 

Preparation:

Season your chicken with spice blend and salt and pepper. Allow to rest in the fridge. 

Preheat your oven to 350F. Coat the chicken in the flour and spice blend and brown in your oven proof pan and set aside. 

Add the garlic, vegetables and potatoes into the Dutch oven and wilt slightly. Deglaze with your wine. Add back your chicken, remaining spice mix and veggie stock. 

Cover and into a 350F oven for 35-45 minutes. Remove cover and add cream if using and cook for another 10 minutes. Remove from oven and adjust for salt as needed. 

It is traditionally served with Georgian bread to soak up the sauce. You can sub warm pita if the traditional bread is not available.

If you need to make this gluten free, you can skip the flour coating and just brown the chicken directly in the pan.

Note: You can find many Khmeli Suneli spice blends online, but I particularly like this one from Mariko. Very balanced and incredible flavor. You can order it on Amazon from their storefront. They are a small business and they ship directly.

Tom Yum Koong, Thai Hot and Sour Shrimp Soup

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This is a traditional Thai soup. To make it properly, you need to layer the flavors, rather than throwing everything into the pot at one time.

I have heard from a few people that some of the ingredients are somewhat hard to find. If you have a local Asian market, they often keep the galangal and kaffir lime leaves in the freezer section. Both freeze very well.

Barring that, here is a great Thai produce site to find everything you need. Use what you need of the lemongrass, galangal and kaffir lime leaves and freeze the rest. https://importfood.com

Ingredients:

6 cups low sodium Vegetable Broth
1 Tbsp Vegetable Oil
1/2 – 3/4 lb Shrimp, shelled and deveined with shells, heads and tails retained.
3 pieces of sliced Galangal, softened with back of your knife.
2 stalks Lemon Grass, peeled and tough ends cut off and softened with back of your knife.
3 cloves Garlic, peeled and mashed.
3-5 fresh Thai Chilies, sliced in half.
8 Kaffir Lime leaves
1 Tbsp Chili Paste with Soya Bean Oil, see picture and note below.
1 cup Fresh Oyster Mushrooms, chopped into bite size pieces.

2 Tbsp Fish Sauce
3-4 fresh Limes, juiced
Fresh Cilantro for garnish.

Preparation:

Begin by heating up your oil in a medium to large stock pot. Then add in your galangal, garlic, chilies and lemon grass and retained shrimp shells and sauté them briefly until the aroma starts to release.

Add in your vegetable broth and kaffir lime leaves  bring it up to a soft simmer. Allow this to gently simmer for about 20 minutes.

Then strain the broth and return to your pan. Add your chili paste and oyster mushrooms. Simmer for 3-4 minutes and then add your fish sauce and shrimp. Cook just until the shrimp turn pink. This will take only a minute or so.

Add your lime juice, adjust to taste, top with fresh cilantro and remove from the heat and serve.

Note: Sugar is often added to Tom Yum Koong, but I found the chili paste I used was quite sweet, so I omitted any additional sugar. If you can find Thai Nam Prik Pao (Roasted Chili Paste) then you might need the sugar. If so, 1 tsp would be suffcient.

Grandma Grace’s Collard Greens

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Greens are a very Southern thing. There are some that love them and some that aren’t so fond. After making and eating a lot of greens, I understand why. When they are bad, they can be really unpleasant. 

I have to say that this recipe produced the best greens I’ve ever had. They were just perfect. The two things I instantly noticed in Grace’s recipe was cooking the meat with the broth and then adding the greens and the vinegar during the cooking process, rather than afterwards. Grace says, “the vinegar cuts the bitterness of the collards”. 

Ingredients: 

3 Ibs Collard Greens, to skip the process of washing and soaking whole greens, just buy the chopped greens in the bags. They are pre-washed and ready to go. I still pick them over to remove any larger stems. 

1-2 smoked Ham hocks or smoked turkey leg. If unavailable, any smoked meat will do. I used smoked pork necks one time. 

2 boxes Chicken Broth, about 8 cups. 

1 Vidallia or sweet Onion

1 Red Bell pepper, chopped

1/3 cup Apple Cider Vinegar

2 Tbsp Garlic, minced

1 tsp Red pepper flakes

Salt, I like to wait until the greens have cooked a bit before I add the salt. 

Preparation:

Add all ingredients, except the greens and the salt and cook on medium low heat until the meat is falling off or easily comes off the bone. When ham hocks are done remove them and put in a bowl to cool.

Using a slotted spoon look to see if there are any pieces of bone in the broth. Then, I add the collards a bit at a time into the broth and mash them down. 

Bring to a boil and then turn to down to med/low, cover and cook for two hours. checking liquid and stirring occasionally. 

After the ham hocks are cool, remove the meat and chop finely and add to the collards. I add the salt at this time and cook for about another 30 minutes to an hour.

Gai Ping, Laotian Grilled Chicken

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A lot of people don’t realize that in Laos they make a mean fried chicken. It’s a speciality. They also make an amazing grilled chicken. While similar to the Thai, Gai Yang; which makes sense since they are neighbors. It’s got its own unique flavor, and uses copious amounts of black pepper. 

In Southeast Asia they grow some of the best black pepper anywhere. The most famous is the Kampot pepper from Cambodia. Almost destroyed during the Khmer Rouge regime, it is making a comeback and is well worth searching out. 

Ingredients: 

3 Tbsp Oyster Sauce 

2 Tbsp Fish sauce

2 Tbsp low sodium Soy sauce 

1 Lime, juiced 

4 cloves Garlic, pressed or grated. 

1 Tbsp coconut Sugar or Brown Sugar

1 Tbsp ground Black Pepper 

½ cup (35gms) finely chopped Cilantro/Coriander. Stems are fine too. 

3 lbs. (1.35kg) Chicken, 2 lbs if using boneless. I personally prefer boneless skinless thighs. 

Preparation:

Combine all your ingredients to create your marinade. Pour over the chicken and let it marinade for at least 24 hours. 

Shake off any excess marinade and grill over charcoal, or it also works well in the air fryer.

Garnish with cilantro/coriander, if desired. Serve with coconut rice. You can find this recipe in the blog.

Singapore Noodles

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My friend was visiting from the UK and made this for dinner and it was off the charts. He is originally from Singapore and while this is not an authentic Singaporean dish, it is very good and very healthy. I like to serve it with my homemade chili paste.

Ingredients:

½ lb Ramein Noodles, rice vermicelli or thin spaghetti

1/2 tsp Toasted Sesame Seed Oil

1 cup sliced Shitake Mushrooms

½ cup thinly sliced Cabbage or Bok Choy

½ cup thinly sliced Carrots

½ cup thinly sliced Red Pepper

1 Tbsp Oil

1 cup sliced Onions

2 Tbsp shredded Ginger Root

4 cloves of Garlic, sliced

1 tsp Salt

2 tsp Curry Powder, 1 Tbsp if you like it spicy.

½ tsp Turmeric

1 Tbsp Soy Sauce

Dash of Fish Sauce

1 tsp Sugar

3 Tbsp chopped Green Onions

1 Tbsp chopped Cilantro

Preparation:

Blanch noodles according to instructions, drain and rinse with cold water to wash off starch and drain. Do not overcook. Sprinkle a little sesame seed oil to coat, and set aside.

Slice the shitake mushrooms, bok choy, carrots, red pepper and toss individually in very hot wok to singe and then put aside. When all vegetables are done, you’re ready to finish the dish.

Add oil to smoking wok, and add in sliced onions, shredded ginger and garlic. Sauté until translucent and then add curry powder and turmeric (adjust according to taste) and toss to coat. Add salt and stir.

Add in your noodles and toss to coat noodles with spices. Add 2 tbsp of water to create steam. Season with soy sauce, dash of fish sauce and sugar.

Add back the vegetables to the noodles and toss on high heat so that noodles get a bit of crispness. When ready, scatter on chopped green onions and cilantro, toss and serve piping hot with chili paste.

World Famous “Sunday Sauce”

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Regular readers will know my love for Italian food runs deep, especially for the true comfort dishes practiced and perfected in kitchens by generations of nonnas (Italian grandmothers).

Sunday is a special day when the family comes together for a big meal and while each family has their own traditions of which dishes are served. In the US, the tradition of the Sunday Sauce is essential.

While this is a marinara base, the key is the slowly braised meats which flavor the sauce and then impart a flavor to the sauce that is beyond delicious. You can also add braciole, lamb necks and/or veal knuckles etc, but this is optional. Bottom line, if you cook anything in a tomato sauce for 4 hours, it will come out great.

 The key, as with all comfort food, is to use the best ingredients, take your time and layer the flavors. Here is what you will need.

Ingredients:

Meatballs:

½ lb ground Beef

½ lb ground Pork

2 Tbsp Grated Romano Cheese

2 Tbsp Breadcrumbs, I like panko breadcrumbs or plain.

1 Egg, beaten

1 tsp Lawry’s Seasoning Salt, this is my secret weapon for killer meatballs.

Sauce:

5 Italian Sausages, sweet/hot or both, cut in half.

1 or 2 Beef Short Ribs, depends on size. Try to find them around 3 to 4 inches; the larger ones do not fit in the pan well. You can also have the butcher cut them in half.

1 or 2 Pork Ribs, country style is good. Same size as above.

3 Tbsp Olive Oil

4 cloves of Garlic, smashed with side of knife and loosely chopped

1 cup finely diced Onion

½ cup finely diced Carrot

½ cup finely diced Celery

¼ cup Marsala Wine

2 – 28 oz cans of whole San Marzano Tomatoes, puréed in a food processor or crushed by hand.

1 Tbsp Salt

Black Pepper

Preparation:

First, prepare your meatballs by combining all ingredients. Start with the meat, then salt and cheese, work it together then add your beaten egg and gently work the mixture and lastly add your breadcrumbs 1 Tbsp at a time until it comes together. Roll into 2 inch diameter meatballs or whatever you prefer and put into the refrigerator.

Preheat your oven to 375F/190C. Take your beef and pork ribs and salt and pepper both sides and put onto a foil lined baking sheet or directly on a griddle, then place the prepared meatballs and sausages onto the same sheet and bake for 25-30 minutes.

To make your sauce, start with a large heavy duty saucepan, which will hold the heat and give you a consistent low simmer. A cast iron Le Cruset is perfect. Larger is better, as you don’t want to crowd the meat.

Heat the olive oil and sauté the garlic, onion, carrot and celery. Stir frequently and make sure to add ½ of the salt and some pepper to the mixture.

When it is sautéed and translucent, add your Marsala wine and cook until the wine is gone (about 3-4 minutes), then add the tomatoes and bring up to a soft simmer.

Once the meat is finished, gently add it into the sauce, add the rest of the salt and softly simmer uncovered for 4 hours or longer, stirring occasionally. 

Serve over your choice of pasta with grated Romano and Parmesan cheese. Optionally, you can remove the meat and serve it as a separate meat course after the pasta course.

Cajun Fish and Rice

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This is a fantastic one pot meal. It’s not difficult  to throw together and can feed a fairly large group. It’s packed with flavor, and has a nice soft spicy flavor. 

A few things to remember. You need a thicker filleted fish and a fish that has some fat. Cod is perfect, as are hake and monkfish. Halibut could work, but tuna would be a bit too dry. 

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs Cod, cut into fairly large pieces. Dusted with Old Bay Seasoning or a Cajun spice mix (Tony Chacheres is perfect) on both sides. 

4 Tbsp Vegetable Oil

3 cloves Garlic, sliced

1 Large Onion, chopped 

1 Red Pepper, chopped

1 Stalk Celery, chopped

 1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper

1/2 tsp Thyme

Pinch of Cloves

3 Bay Leaves

2 cups Medium Grain Rice

4 cups Vegetable Broth 

Salt and Pepper to taste 

Preparation:

Preheat your oven to 375F/190C

Heat 3 Tbsp of oil in a heavy Dutch oven (Le Cruset is perfect), that has a cover and can be put into the oven. Add the onion, garlic, red pepper and celery and salt and pepper and sauté until lightly browned. 

While sautéing the vegetables, heat up a sauté pan with the remaining 1 Tbsp of oil and lightly sear your cod. Just 1 minutes per side and then set aside. 

Add the rest of your ingredients to the Dutch oven, except the fish, rice and vegetable broth and sauté for 3-4 minutes. 

Add the rice and sauté for 1 minutes, coating well. Add the broth and bring up to a simmer. Gently place the fish into the broth and put on the cover and into the oven for 35 minutes. 

Remove from oven and allow to rest covered for 5-10 minutes and serve with hot sauce.

Risotto con Funghi Porcini

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Risotto is one of the simplest dishes imaginable, yet it is so often prepared poorly. The key is patience and flawless ingredients. There are no short cuts here. 

There are many so wonderful versions of risotto, but I personally like this one as it allows you to learn to basics without any trouble. It really is a simple recipe. 

You will note that this is completely vegetarian and can be made as a vegan dish by substituting out the butter and cheese with non dairy options. I’ve made it both ways, and have to say both are excellent. 

If you can follow these few simple steps, you will create a world class risotto in your own kitchen to rival most any. I always suggest a quick read through the recipe prior to beginning so you fully understand the process. 

Here are a few things to remember:

  • You will need the stock to be softly boiling and on the stove next to your risotto pan. Save yourself a lot of mess and hassle by placing it on the proper side. If you are right handed, place it on your right side and vice versa. I find a ladle very handy to transfer the broth. 
  • Use only true Arborio rice or if that is not available, medium grain rice. 
  • Prepare your dried porcini mushrooms by putting them in a heat proof dish and pouring boiling water over them. Allow them to sit and soak for 15-20 minutes and then drain and retain the soaking liquid to add to your broth. 
  • Mince your onions prior to beginning, as once you start cooking, you will need to be pretty much constantly stirring and adding more stock. Plan on 15-20 minutes to get a perfect al dente risotto. 

Ingredients:

2 cups of Arborio Rice

4 cups low sodium Vegetable Stock, diluted by half with water to create 8 cups total. 

2 Tbsp Butter

1 Tbsp Vegetable Oil

3 Tbsp Onion, finely minced

3/4 cup Porcini Mushrooms, soaked and sliced. 

Salt to taste. If you do not use low sodium stock, you will likely need none. 

1/2 cup Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese. Grand Pandano is a suitable substitute. 

Preparation:

Begin by preparing all of your ingredients and having them handy. 

Dilute your stock and bring it to a soft boil. Melt your butter and oil in a large sauté pan and add your onions. Gently sauté until they are translucent. 

Add in your rice and stir to coat. Increase you heat slightly.  Now add in one ladle of the stock and stir gently until it is almost evaporated and then add another ladle and so on. 

Taste after 15 minutes to gauge the timing. The rice should have a slight al dente texture, but should not be hard or crunchy. You will notice the rice starting to puff up. That’s a good sign. 

Note: If you start to run out of stock, don’t panic, just add 1 cup of hot water to the remaining stock. 

When the risotto is ready, add your cheese, stir and serve immediately. You may add additional cheese if desired. 

Ragu alla Bolognese

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There are many versions of this classic sauce, which originates in Bologna. Some use wine, some use milk, some use wine and milk and some only use a bit of tomato paste, but this is my tried and true version. It is epic, but it is definitely not fast food.

In my recipe, the order of the ingredients is important. Make sure to add the milk before the wine. And remember this is slow food. It’s always on simmer. Set aside at least 5 hours of cooking time, or even a bit more. The smell will tell you when its ready

A quick read through the recipe prior to beginning is a good idea. 

Ingredients:

3 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2 Tbsp Butter

1 large Carrot, finely diced

1 large Onion, finely diced

1 stalk Celery, finely diced

1/4 cup Pancetta, finely diced

1 lb Beef, ground 

1 lb Pork, ground

1 cup Whole Milk 

Nutmeg, freshly grated 

Salt and Black pepper 

1 cup (235ml) white wine

1 – 28 oz. (800g) canned whole peeled tomatoes, crushed or pulsed. I like to crush them with my hands.

Preparation:

Add your butter and olive oil, and bring it up to a medium simmer, then add the pancetta, and allow it to gently release its fat, then add the beef, and then add the pork. You’re going to cook each of the meats until they just lose their rawness. A little pink is okay. At this point a little bit of salt and a little bit of pepper is good.

Then add your whole milk, and a few gratings of fresh nutmeg, and gently simmer it until the milk is almost gone. Then, you will add your wine and gently simmer until it is almost gone. 

Now add your tomatoes and gently simmer for 5 + hours. Be careful to avoid sticking. If it gets too thick, you can always add a little bit of water. This is where a cast iron heat diffuser comes in very handy.

When it’s finished, you will serve with fresh egg pasta, like tagliatelle or pappardelle and a little bit of Parmesan Reggiano.

If you can’t find fresh pasta, a quality dried egg pasta is perfectly fine. Remember not to overload the pasta, as this is a rich sauce and you want to taste the pasta as well.

Note: This makes a lot of sauce, so divide it up and freeze it. It freezes well. I like to let it defrost in the fridge and then gently reheat with a tiny bit of water.